Iaune had been accused, sometimes, of being a workaholic.
That was blatantly untrue. They took comfort in productivity, of course. Idleness had never suited Iaune because it was work that reminded them that they were part of a greater whole. Every little bit of weeding, or perhaps distributing food to others - all of it helped someone. But they did know how to turn themself away from work, too. They spent every morning in relaxation, taking a circuit of the areas of Homewood nearest their den to review the most familiar faces. At full moons they scaled a boulder, to trace the paths of the stars and ponder the journey still to come. After sundown most evenings they tranced, pulling their anxious heart into harmony with the breeze that sung through Homewood. And after a rain...
Well, after a rain, Iaune explained sorrowfully to their clients, it was only correct to suspend their own activities. It was no trouble; Iaune's work was in finding those who were struggling in their duties and helping them refamiliarize themselves with the Homewood's pace. They were beholden only to their own heart, and their heart was one which swelled with admiration for Vykeli's rains.
Every inch of Vykeli was magical, they knew. It had nourished the Grandfather Tree, which had blessed its noulicorns with gifts unimaginable to anyone else. But rain carried power in it. In its wake came earthy petrichor, blooming heavily on Iaune's nose as parched soil drank of the hydration it needed. And with petrichor came, of course, spores and seeds taking new root.
Iaune knew, especially now that the Grandfather tree had begun granting new gifts, that there were nouls out there who grew fungi in their garden. Iaune themself was qualified to do the same - but there was something different about seeking out mushrooms in the wilderness. Mushrooms made for prime nourishment and medication, and, sometimes, something more. Their savory flavors usually provided an excellent contrast to herbaceous greens or sweet fruit. Most interesting was their tendency to crop up where the wind led them - little spores having found purchase on a damp log (like Iaune's home) or buried in soil, ready to be unearthed in a few days or weeks.
It was nice to find those little surprises strewn throughout Homewood. Of course, new fungi did not necessarily make for the best meals - but learning where new ones had begun to grow was helpful for future scavenging.
Today, in particular, Iaune had already come across new specimens of puffball, and carefully plucked an amanita from its home. It hadn't done anything - it wanted to live, too - but it wouldn't do for a curious foal to ingest something so bright and appetizing. Iaune would be able to relocate it to their den, where it could grow large and lovely, and then be repurposed for...well, entertainment once it'd reached an appropriate level of maturity.
The Homewood was doing well. That wasn't surprising; the value of the Homewood was that life flourished here, unlike anywhere else on Vykeli - at least to their knowledge. But it had been doing especially well as of late. Iaune had heard rumors that the Lifebringers were ready to resurrect another extinct species, and there had been all sorts of activity near the Grandfather Tree. Wanderers with new blood running through their veins were making their way to the wood, too, bringing fresh experiences and knowledge. There'd even been talk of the flora growing more diverse.
No one knew why so much was happening in Vykeli all at once of late. But it was a good thing. After the discovery and naming of the Dizyg herb, Iaune's gardener friends had begun mentioning something else that was new - a striped specimen, with a broad, flat leaf and irregular edges.
"Keep an eye out," they'd advised, as Iaune had passed by this morning. "We still don't know what it does - we need more specimen!"
Iaune was not particularly suited to scholarly work. It didn't feel like doing anything, to watch and wait and see what the results might be. Iaune preferred activity. But they could appreciate the results research brought, and they certainly had no trouble looking through the Homewood's greens while they were scavenging for interesting mushrooms anyway.
It was a surprise when they did spot the new plant, though, whatever it was. They had to review the description again, less familiar with the sort of organisms that didn't grow upon rotting logs. They couldn't really be certain what this even was; it had a unique scent to it that certainly indicated some sort of herb. But, well...
Learning what it did was someone else's business, Iaune decided. They'd been asked to look out for it, and they had, and here it was. They walked a little circle around its habitat to take note of the characteristics in case their friends were curious later, and to ensure they harvested a reasonable amount without harming the sustainability of its living environment. There'd be no use experimenting with this plant only to later learn they'd caused it to go extinct again, right?
They extracted the leaf and stalk carefully, hanging it from the string they kept around their neck for any and all discoveries made while scavenging. This would be appreciated, certainly - and it was a load off their mind.
Now they could return to their true focus with ease. They'd heard rumors that liberty caps had been making their way through that region of Homewood lately...
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